E-GIANTS
Dave Klein was the Giants' beat writer for The Star-Ledger from 1961 to 1995.
He is the author of 26 books and he was one of only three sportswriters to have covered all the Super Bowls up until last year. Dave has allowed TEAM GIANTS to reprint some of his articles.

GIANTS SIGN LAST TWO DRAFT CHOICES, WITH CAMP JUST A WEEK AWAY

By Dave Klein
Just about a week to go before training camp opens for the Giants, and however their season goes, at least they'll know they signed all 11 draft picks.

The last two came to terms yesterday - second-round wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson and fourth-round (the second of three) safety Dane Belton. They were the final two left unsigned, and Robinson is predicted as a starter.

He's a diminutive sprout, standing 5-8 and maybe pushing the needle on the scale to 180 pounds, but he has the speed of a hummingbird and those who worked against him in minicamp insist he has that uncanny ability of making himself invisible and reappearing just as the pass starts to come down.

No specific terms were released for either contract, but it is obvious that the second rounder got more than the fourth rounder.

Robinson is one of four rookies predicted to start when the season opens Sept. 11 against the Tennessee Titans, the other three being the two first-rounders, edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and offensive tackle Evan Neal (the fifth and seventh picks overall) and the fourth-rounder picked just ahead of Robinson, tight end Daniel Bellinger, who is 6-5 and 255 and created several gasps of breath during spring workouts.

Besides, with the departure of Evan Engram, who was allowed to walk off into the sunset as a free agent, the tight end position has been virtually unmanned.

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Fans should find out early, or at be able to formulate some idea, of how the rebuilding 2022 season will go, after the first five games of the schedule.

After the opener against the Titans, the Giants will play Carolina, Dallas, Chicago and Green Bay (in London). It is certainly a mixed bag. The Titans were 12-5, the Panthers 5-12, the Cowboys 12-5, the Bears 6-11 and the Packers 13-4.

Which translates into a mandate to beat the Panthers and Bears and salvage at least one game from the Titans, Cowboys and Packers. A 3-2 record after five weeks would be a resounding success for this team that went 4-13 last year under Joe Judge.

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You can tell it's still the preseason, and before training camp, because all the websites are consumed with finding some story ideas. The latest appear to be identifying the greatest Giant at various positions, and the one we saw narrowed it down to tight ends.

No, it wasn't Engram. Don't be silly. If you handed him that trophy, he's surely drop it.

Seriously, folks, who would be your choice? Well, you may pick from Joe Walton, Jeremy Shockey, Mark Bavaro, Zeke Mowatt, Bob Tucker, Gary Shirk, Rich Kotite and Dan Campbell.

The answer, of course, is Bavaro, with Tucker second. For those who grew up in football's previous generation, one might expect votes for Walton.

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The newest rumor involving quarterbacks who “might” be coming to the Giants says that Jimmy Garappolo, currently with the San Francisco 49ers. He is a former second round draft pick by New England and a veteran of eight NFL seasons.

But the 49ers appear determined to with Trey Lance, their first-round selection last year, and they show former Washington backup Nate Sudfeld as their current backup.

Might not be a bad idea, you know?

davesklein@aol.com

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